A text can say a thousand words
by victoriarosetimelord
Summary: Imagining the phone the Doctor gave Donna in S4 wasn't Martha's old one...it was his. A little snapshot of the messages Rose might've sent him. 10/Rose


Donna flopped heavily backwards onto her bed and let out a deep sigh, it had been one _hell _of a day. Those potato headed gits, the Doctor almost sacrificing himself yet again and her being stuck on some god-awful spaceship trying to save the world with a mallet.

But something was disturbing her attempts at getting comfy in her back pocket; she reached underneath and pulled out the Doctor's phone.

"Guess technology _can_ save the world..." She let out a gentle laugh and went to put it on her bedside table to give back to him tomorrow. Or whatever the equivalent of tomorrow was on this thing.

But just as she reached out, she turned the small device over in her palm, her mind reeling with the possibilities.

"I'll just have a little peek at what his paper-cut Lordship chats about..." She flipped it open and went into the inbox, gasping slightly at what she saw.

Line upon line, one after the other the messages were all from the same sender – Rose.

She thought for a moment that it might be crossing a line to read them, but curiosity got the better of her and she scrolled down to the very first text that was saved in there.

'_I'm sorry 4 what I said. Its jst that I miss the old you, its goin 2b hard. But it'll always b me&u. R xxx'_

Donna wondered what she meant by 'the old you' but smiled at the sentiment. The Doctor barely talked about Rose, and when he did it was for a split second before he rubbed his eyes roughly and demanded that they moved onto the next adventure. But anyone could see just how much she'd meant to him. The way that there was a room on the corridor that was bolted shut apart from the times when he thought Donna was asleep and she'd hear the faint buzz of the sonic screwdriver as he let himself into it, the way he'd sometimes make her tea with a little too much sugar in and apologise by saying 'Sorry, that's just how Ro-' but quickly stopped himself and the way Donna would catch him sometimes just sitting and staring into space with a glazed look in his eyes as if he was thinking about times long past.

'_Oi Mr, stick the kettle on n i'll meet you in the kitchen! Oh n I wanna no where we R off 2 nxt! Love R xxx' _

They were best friends, Donna could see that now. Texting each other from within the Tardis just because.

'_So u say...Doctor, ur nxt door! Either come in n tlk 2me or im goin 2sleep! : P love xxx'_

Donna had often imagined what the Doctor would've been like when Rose was on board. She pictured him happy and carefree, honestly carefree and not the act he put on when she was around, joking about with Rose and just being him. She caught glances of it sometimes, just glimpses every now and again.

'_This stuff wil NOT come out of my hair!! So much 4peaceful! U owe me 1big time Mister! Love xxx'_

So he'd promised to take her to a peaceful planet and they most probably ended up running for their lives, Donna was pretty sure that he did it on purpose sometimes.

'_When u decide to come out of ur room, I'm showin Mick around.' _

There was something different about this one, something had happened. There were no kisses at the end, none of her usual happiness and love. Maybe it had something to do with this 'Mick' although, Donna thought that it was probably more something that the Doctor had done, or hadn't done knowing his sometimes thoughtless ways. He was the most selfless creature that had ever existed but when it came to real, raw human emotions, he was as careless as a three year-old.

The next message was dated about a fortnight later; the tone was almost as downbeat. But now it was Rose that seemed to be distant.

'_Thanks 4the cuppa outside my room. Bt, I jst need some time. S'all a bit 2much atm. Home? X'_

She smiled slightly at how tea seemed to be a ritual between them, curing all ails and issues. She made herself make a mental note to ask him about it one day.

Donna was almost tempted to stop there, when the next text caught her eye.

'_U know how I feel, I thought I almost lost U. God, I was so scared! Love u too xxx' _

So they had been 'like that' and that ending...the Doctor had said he loved her? Donna allowed herself a small smile at how happy they must've been, even with everything they'd went through. That was why it was so hard for him now, she wasn't just a companion. Rose was literally everything to him. The last text Donna read proved this, without a doubt.

'_Best day ever! I meant what I said, never going 2leave u. Now, stop bein silly and come cuddle on the sofa! Love u, always xxxx'_

"DONNAAAA?" The Doctor's voice rang through the corridors of the Tardis and she snapped the phone shut. He burst through the door with a certain amount of bravado, but his face fell as he found his companion with silent tears streaming down her face, "Hey...what's wrong? What happened?"

She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him, trying to put everything she wanted to tell him into that embrace. Pulling back slightly, she looked up at him and sniffed slightly.

"I just wanted to say...after everything, I'm sorry."

"For what?" The Timelord frowned in confusion, not exactly knowing what his friend was going on about. It had been her that he'd put in danger today.

"About Rose," Donna noticed that his defences were instantly up, a barrier between the conversation and any pain that could be caused because of it, "When I was first here, maybe I wasn't as understanding as I should be. But, I understand now. And...I'm so, so sorry."

A single tear ran down the Doctor's face as he wrapped his arms back around Donna, pulled her tighter and whispered.

"Thank you."


End file.
